iTunes 11.1.1 and iTunes Match Nightmare

[SCHMEGGA]

Trying to keep this succinct but thorough. For the last couple of months I have gone thru each (8149) song one by one in my iTunes library. I have been deleting old and creating new playlists. Lots and lots of man hours on this. And then the problem. Have used ITM since inception. It runs across 5 iPhones and 3 iMacs. Never an issue. Works as stated. I finally finished (YEAH ME!!!) last night. So I basically tossed out about 50 playlists and now have ~20. Made a specific playlist for daughter. Told her to listen to the new playlist this morning. She says it isn't there. I double check on my iPhone. Nope! All my old playlists none of the new. Hmmmm. So I go into iTunes and lo and behold iTunes match is turned off. I am assuming this happened when it was updated to 11.1.1. Anyway, no big deal right? All my new playlists are there and none of my old. So I turn on ITM and head to work. I keep monitoring it throughout the morning (Ignition app) and notice that it just keeps recycling between steps 1 and 2. Complete #1 and move to #2 only to stop midway and restart at #1 again. So I get home and guess what? Still going. Not only that but it has now replaced all of my very hard work over the last 2 months with all the old playlists and a lot of the music that I had deleted. Here are the solutions that I have tried so far to fix this issue. I have spent the entire last 5-6 hours trying to resolve the issue. And yes, I have restarted the computer no fewer than 20 times throughout these processes.

#1. Creating a new library and turning on ITM and then deleting all files from cloud. Refresh ITM and BOOM!!! Nothing is deleted.
#2. Reinstalling iTunes. Doesn't do a single thing.
#3. Chunking the /Genius.itl and doing all of the above again ad nauseam in any manner of variations.
#4. Spending hours looking at forums with people who have the exact same issue without finding results.
#5. Restoring everything in my /Music folder from my Time Machine backup and doing every single one of the steps above over and over

The biggest problem is that I can get all my brand spanking new playlists back without any issues at all (they are located on the iTunes Library.itl,) BUT then the second I turn ITM back on it starts restoring all my old playlists and songs.

I am completely frustrated and at a loss right now. Some god of apple technician please save me before I commit Hari-Kari by jumping off a tall building holding my iMac in one hand and my Sanity in the other!

Thanks ahead!

 

[Dirtyharry50]

Yikes. Stories like this keep me from trying ITM yet although I'd like to get my entire collection into the cloud for safekeeping more than anything else. I'm also planning to get an iPod Touch and it would be nice with that as well of course. But I've read a number of stories with people having various issues with ITM not working properly that scare me off.

The thing I'd be most worried about here is that it might not be you, your setup or anything you can control on your end. It could simply be a problem with ITM itself or the latest iTunes release. It does make me wonder when you say you found other reports of this but no solutions, you know?

I'd suggest the obvious, Apple support but wonder if this support issue would cost you and if that is worth it.

Anyway, none of that is any help I know but I wish you the best and hope you get it sorted. I also hope Apple continues to improve ITM and iron out the issues people seem to have with it. For now, I'm going to continue to hold off and rely on multiple redundant backups to protect my iTunes library.

 

[SCHMEGGA]

I actually did call Apple Support and they wanted to charge me $20 for support because my iMac support ran out 45 days ago. I said (of course) that this isn't an iMac issue, this is an iTunes/iMatch issue of which I pay $25/year for. She said no dice without coughing up $20. Very upsetting.

 

[braddick]

I had an issue such as yours, although nowhere nearly as extensive and found that iDevices hooked back up to iTunes will sync the missing songs right back.

Same with saved bookmarks. I can delete on my iMac and there they are once again after syncing my iPad!

I'd love a workaround to fix this.
(I've given up on contacts, but perhaps the music and bookmark problem can be fixed?)

 

[SCHMEGGA]

I had an issue such as yours, although nowhere nearly as extensive and found that iDevices hooked back up to iTunes will sync the missing songs right back.

Same with saved bookmarks. I can delete on my iMac and there they are once again after syncing my iPad!

I'd love a workaround to fix this.
(I've given up on contacts, but perhaps the music and bookmark problem can be fixed?)

I'm with ya!